A rolling collection of stories, tips, and news powered by the people of the Philadelphia Water Department.
Bethesda Presbyterian Church sits on a large plot of land in Northeast Philadelphia’s Bustleton neighborhood. The church’s monthly stormwater fees—higher than they would like—reflected the property’s large proportion of impervious surfaces, which put a considerable burden on the local sewers during storms.
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Rain Check—our program best known for providing City residents with free rain barrels—is entering its sixth year with a new website designed to encourage more home landscaping projects that protect local waterways. By visiting the new Rain Check site, residents can now get a jumpstart on sustainable projects in the new year by discovering the best green upgrade for their property…
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Following the 2017 Philadelphia Marathon, Philadelphia Water Department crews shut down and winterized all four Schuylkill River Trail water stations located between the Falls Bridge and Fairmount Water Works. The much-used features—offering fountains, bottle filling stations and ground-level bowls for dog walkers—are taken offline each winter to guard against freezing temperatures…
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As we’ve seen over the last six years, to really transform Philadelphia’s landscape on a scale that’s big enough to have a real impact on our rivers, it takes more than just Water Department crews and contractors building rain gardens. In fact, it takes a whole city working together, not to mention supportive partners…
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The arrival of chilly nights means it’s time to make sure your pipes are protected from cold winter temps that can cause frozen or burst pipes in your home or on your property. While most plumbing is deep enough underground or insulated well enough within your home to avoid freezing, water meters and water service lines can freeze when the temperature drops below 32 degrees in some cases…
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You’re invited to celebrate 1,000 Greened Acres. Can you soak that in? Philly has created one thousand Greened Acres. Yes, it’s impressive … but you want to know the best part? YOU did it: One rain garden, one Rain Check workshop and one Soak It Up Adoption cleanup at a time…
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The Philadelphia Water Department is hosting an open house event for residents and community groups interested in learning about dozens of green stormwater projects planned for construction in the Germantown neighborhood in the coming years. A part of the City’s 25-year Green City, Clean Waters program, the projects are currently in the planning and design stage…
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Do you want to know about upcoming green improvements coming to Germantown to help the neighborhood soak up excess stormwater that comes with rainstorms? Stop by this Philadelphia Water Department open house event between 6-8:30 p.m. to learn about a number of green projects planned for your neighborhood.
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Starting in 2015, the Philadelphia Water Department’s Public Engagement team began recording conversations with members of the Cobbs Creek community. The goal? To better understand how people feel about Cobbs Creek—one of Philadelphia’s seven major watersheds—and what they want to see for the neighborhood, the park, and the stream. You can get a sneak peek…
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When leadership at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia decided to create a brand-new, centralized facility for pediatric care, their primary concern was easing the stress young patients and their families often face while undergoing treatment. Today, that vision is recognized at the 12-story Buerger Center, a colorful University City building that opened in 2015…
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